On April 7th 1940, the 218 ORB mentions the satellite and dummy airfield of 'Rona'. Can anyone expand on this for me please ?

TIA

Steve

13th October 2019, 06:22

Resmoroh

Steve,Rona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides (Heli LZ at GE 57.578278 -5.961175). There were a lot of torpedo trials in the area in WW2. It may still have some MoD work today.
RAF Mona (GE 53.257481 -4.374486) is a small satellite strip on Anglesey for RAF Valley. It opened in 1942. During WW2 it housed various AGS’ and AFUs.
HTH
Peter Davies

13th October 2019, 08:17

COL BRUGGY

Hello,

No.218 squadron was based at Auberive, France, on 7 April, 1940. A possibility for the dummy airfield is Ronai, approximately 216 miles east of Auberive. For info on Ronai, see: http://ww2.dk/Airfields%20-%20France.pdf.

We need someone with local knowledge who could ascertain if Ronai was used for that purpose, at that time.

Col.

13th October 2019, 10:59

Steve Smith

Hi both,

I don't think the name 'Rona' is an actual place but a code name for the satellite or dummy airfield.

Thanks anyway.

Regards

Steve

13th October 2019, 12:03

Resmoroh

All the RAF codes names I have for locations on the Continent at the beginning of WW2 consist of 6 letters. They are mostly English language 6-letter Forenames (not all of the positions to which those code-names apply have been satisfactorily located). 218 Sqn is on the Dist List. So if RONA was the code-name for some location it would seem that it might not be from a British Unit, or organisation?
HTH
Peter Davies

15th October 2019, 03:17

Alex Smart

Hello,
I had responded to this post in the TOCH Forum, and ask here if my assumption that across the channel in 1939-1941 the Decoy sites would most likely have just been known by the local name, whereas in the UK they were known under a code name ?
Also the Squadron would it seems have been in the Perpignan area in April ?
Alex

15th October 2019, 08:43

Steve Smith

Alex,

No.218 Squadron was based in Auberive in April 1940, with a small detachment ( 7 a/c) at No.1 ATS at Perpignan. Auberive was code named "Zeki" up until May 1940 when this changed to 'Arnold'. All the AASF airfields were given code names, as was the AASF HQ, 'Panther', the B.E.F HQ 'Brassard'. The list of code names for the AASF airfields still alludes me at the NA. The code name 'Rona' appears in more than one squadron ORB in the context of a satellite / dummy airfield.

Steve

15th October 2019, 08:54

Resmoroh

Steve,
I've sent you a PM.
Peter Davies

19th October 2019, 12:45

Bertrand H

Hi,

Another code name RONA in the messages (from Air 35/256 Operations room diary)

7 march 1940

Phoned Perpignan after some difficulty made contact with them. Six Battles are leaving together (5 of 150 sqdn and 1 of 226 sqdn) for LAST. One from 218 sqdn is also leaving Perpignan and has already sent in his Form. This has not been received here, ???, on inquiry did KUFA, ZEKI or RONA have it.

According to the ORB of n°150 sqn 5 Battles flew from Perpignan to Nantes on 7 march.